When traveling, one of the biggest challenges with navigating in a new location is being able to contextualize the environment and quickly access information about one's surroundings. Complicating this process is the fact that, while the real-world locations exist in three dimensions, location and positioning information are often conveyed in two dimensions, i.e., flat, two-dimensional maps. Whether viewing maps on paper, on a computer screen, or on a mobile device, navigation materials are almost universally presented in two, rather than three dimensions. This disconnect potentially confuses visitors.
As demonstrated with websites such as Wikipedia™ or Yelp™, crowdsourcing can greatly improve informational content. Existing crowdsourcing technologies, however, are suboptimal, as contextual information is often presented in two dimensions, rather than three dimensions.
Technologies like augmented reality have emerged to present geo-contextual information, but are still confusing. Augmented reality presentation techniques thus far are generally disorganized, intrusive and far from being smoothly integrated. Hence, augmented reality is more likely to be viewed as a gimmick, a one-time experience, or a technological engineering project, rather than a new viable way to immerse users into their environment. Moreover, existing augmented reality presentations tend to be computationally demanding, and therefore impractical with a mobile device such as a smartphone.